Movie making is sort of a crap shoot. The movie we see on the screen is the result of a series of choices and random happenstances. Oh, crazy 70s Dune movie that never was, how I wish I had your sweet Pink Floyd sound track. Oh well. Let’s look at some of these random happenings, and shriek with delight and/or dismay at what might have been.
Though The Godfather is now regarded as one of the best movies ever made, it was a famously troubled production. Paramount wanted Peter Bogdonovich, to direct but Bogdonovich ultimately turned it down to make Whats Up, Doc?…with Ryan O’Neill, the James Franco of the 1970s. According to Bogdonovich, his version of The Godfather would have starred Edward G. Robinson. That probably would have been pretty good.
There was a period of time in the 60s and 1970s when pretty much every movie casting decision began with “So, can we get Robert Redford?” followed by “Well, what about Ryan O’Neill, then?” Pretty much any big movie from that period had one of those two attached, however briefly. We narrowly avoided Ryan O’Neill playing Michael Corleone in The Godfather, and for that we should probably all give thanks. We also almost had a Robert Redford version of the The Graduate, but director Mike Nichols just couldn’t buy Redford as a dork with little experience with woman who gets manipulated by an older woman. Poor Burt Ward turned down the role that made Dustin Hoffman a star to play Robin in the Batman tv show. The poor dope.
There was once a time when people really thought about firing Robert Redford so they could replace him with Burt Ward. Think about that. I bet Burt Ward does.
George Lucas made Star Wars because he couldn’t afford the rights to Flash Gordon. That’s probably for the best. Now, the bat-shit madness of a 1970s Dune movie with Orson Welles as Baron Harkonnen, lounging around on H.R. Giger furniture? Salvador Dali as the Emperor? THAT is something I’m sorry we missed.
Satirical images made by the author from original film posters. All film posters originals are copyrighted by the film owners and distributors.
